Heart Disease Prevention for Women with Dr. Mark Menolascino
08/30/23 • 57 min
This episode of Conversations for Health features Dr. Mark Menolascino, the Medical Director of the Meno Clinic – Center for Functional Medicine. He has over 35 years of healthcare experience, is Board Certified as an Internal Medicine Specialist, Board Certified in Holistic Medicine and in Advanced Hormone Management and Anti-Aging Medicine. He additionally has a Master’s Degree in Pharmacology and Immunology, part of the Heart Disease Reversal Team with Dr. Dean Ornish.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and in our conversation, Dr. Menolascino highlights the key differentiators regarding women’s cardiovascular health from men’s health. He expounds on the importance of both primary and secondary prevention and highlights valuable testing recommendations, dietary supplementations, and the importance of lifestyle choices in actively preventing heart disease.
I’m your host Evelyn Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.
Key Takeaways:
[1:50] Key differentiators regarding women’s cardiovascular health.
[4:02] Major signs that indicate heart disease and distress or failure.
[6:15] Heart attack prevention tests, including LP(a) and small dense LpL levels.
[13:35] The importance of cardiovascular testing and functional stress tests.
[18:54] Physician recommendations for key testing frequency and age milestones.
[26:26] Information that is gathered from heart testing and what physicians do with it.
[28:31] LP(a) treatment, supplements and interventions.
[34:53] The impact of lowering cholesterol and other markers.
[38:03] Dr. Mark’s nutraceutical recommendations for supplementing healthy lifestyle choices.
[42:05] General recommendations for personalized precision medicine practices.
[46:05] Diet principles for cardiovascular health include organic red meat and gluten.
[50:43] Women’s health hormones as they relate to cardiovascular risk.
[54:15] Dr. Mark’s favorite supplement, personal health practices, and the medicine usage he has changed his mind about.
Episode Resources:
Medical Journal: The Histological Basis of Frank’s Sign
PubMed: Corneal arcus as coronary artery disease risk factor
Medical Journal: Efficacy of alternate day versus daily dosing of rosuvastatin
Design for Health Resources:
Blog: New Research Finds Powerful Link Between Type 2 Diabetes and Women’s Risk for Heart Disease
Blog: Nitric Oxide – Say Yes to “NO”
Blog: Rhamnan Sulfate to Support the Endothelial Glycocalyx
Blog: The Latest on CoQ10: Supporting Heart Health and Beyond
Blog: Support Foundational Health with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Blog: Methylated Folate for Normal Homocysteine Status
Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.
This episode of Conversations for Health features Dr. Mark Menolascino, the Medical Director of the Meno Clinic – Center for Functional Medicine. He has over 35 years of healthcare experience, is Board Certified as an Internal Medicine Specialist, Board Certified in Holistic Medicine and in Advanced Hormone Management and Anti-Aging Medicine. He additionally has a Master’s Degree in Pharmacology and Immunology, part of the Heart Disease Reversal Team with Dr. Dean Ornish.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and in our conversation, Dr. Menolascino highlights the key differentiators regarding women’s cardiovascular health from men’s health. He expounds on the importance of both primary and secondary prevention and highlights valuable testing recommendations, dietary supplementations, and the importance of lifestyle choices in actively preventing heart disease.
I’m your host Evelyn Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.
Key Takeaways:
[1:50] Key differentiators regarding women’s cardiovascular health.
[4:02] Major signs that indicate heart disease and distress or failure.
[6:15] Heart attack prevention tests, including LP(a) and small dense LpL levels.
[13:35] The importance of cardiovascular testing and functional stress tests.
[18:54] Physician recommendations for key testing frequency and age milestones.
[26:26] Information that is gathered from heart testing and what physicians do with it.
[28:31] LP(a) treatment, supplements and interventions.
[34:53] The impact of lowering cholesterol and other markers.
[38:03] Dr. Mark’s nutraceutical recommendations for supplementing healthy lifestyle choices.
[42:05] General recommendations for personalized precision medicine practices.
[46:05] Diet principles for cardiovascular health include organic red meat and gluten.
[50:43] Women’s health hormones as they relate to cardiovascular risk.
[54:15] Dr. Mark’s favorite supplement, personal health practices, and the medicine usage he has changed his mind about.
Episode Resources:
Medical Journal: The Histological Basis of Frank’s Sign
PubMed: Corneal arcus as coronary artery disease risk factor
Medical Journal: Efficacy of alternate day versus daily dosing of rosuvastatin
Design for Health Resources:
Blog: New Research Finds Powerful Link Between Type 2 Diabetes and Women’s Risk for Heart Disease
Blog: Nitric Oxide – Say Yes to “NO”
Blog: Rhamnan Sulfate to Support the Endothelial Glycocalyx
Blog: The Latest on CoQ10: Supporting Heart Health and Beyond
Blog: Support Foundational Health with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Blog: Methylated Folate for Normal Homocysteine Status
Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.
Previous Episode
Advances in the Prevention of Dementia and Alzheimer’s with Dr. Kat Toups — Part 2
This two-part episode of Conversations for Health features Dr. Kat Toups, a Functional Medicine Psychiatrist at Bay Area Wellness in Walnut Creek, CA, and organizer and administrator for Bay Area Functional Medicine Group since 2012. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Toups is a former Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UC Davis, and later the Owner and Medical Director of Bay Area Research Institute, a Clinical Trials Research Center in Lafayette, CA. After serving as the Principal Investigator on over 100 clinical trials for 12 years, including 20 failed trials for Alzheimer's drugs, she realized that the elusive cure for Brain and Psychiatric illness was not going to be found in a pill.
In the second part of our conversation, Dr. Toups continues our exploration of approaches to Alzheimer's, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and general cognitive health. She highlights the role of toxins testing, the importance of sleep hygiene and dietary monitoring, and the part that hormones play in overall brain health. Her personal and professional experiences are both encouraging and enlightening, and she offers an array of action items for anyone that is invested in dementia prevention efforts.
I’m your host Evelyn Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.
Key Takeaways:
[1:24] Kat’s experience with toxins testing, treatment, and study findings.
[7:52] Two main considerations of the role of genetics in treatment protocol.
[11:30] Dietary monitoring recommendations for advanced APOE4 genetic lipid markers
[14:42] Sleep hygiene considerations and device recommendations.
[17:05] Two Designs for Health supplements were used in the trial study.
[20:14] Dementia prevention supplement recommendations include fish oil, B-complex, and vitamin D.
[23:53] Kat’s personal favorite supplements and mitochondrial support.
[27:03] Kat’s top and non-negotiable health practices start with what she puts in her mouth.
[32:08] A holistic approach is the answer to finding lasting health.
[33:40] The role of hormones in achieving optimal brain health.
Episode Resources:
Design for Health Resources:
Blog: Minerals for Detoxification Support
Blog: The Latest Clinical Research on Zeolite and Heavy Metal Detoxification
Blog: Exploring the link between the ApoE4 gene and increased risk for Alzheimer’s
Webinar: Fueling and Building the Brain - Understanding the Role of Fat & Ketones in the Brain
Journal: Fish oils review, Chapter 91, 2020 Textbook of Natural Medicine
Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.
Next Episode
A Functional Approach to Balancing Hormones with Becky Murray
This episode of Conversations for Health features nurse practitioner Becky Murray. Becky has been practicing functional medicine for over 25 years and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Designs for Health. Becky practices at The Institute for Hormonal Balance and is a member of various organizations including Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), American College for the Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM), and Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG).
Becky focuses on the functions that are designed to lead to even greater health. She expounds on the three key hormones that can sabotage weight loss goals, the importance of high quality sleep, and the personal experiences that led her away from traditional medicine and into the functional medicine approach that has changed her personal life and the lives of those she works with.
I’m your host Evelyn Lambrecht, thank you for designing a well world with us.
Key Takeaways:
[1:15] The most common health problems Becky encounters in her practice.
[3:30] Dietary recommendations for blood sugar monitoring and insulin resistance.
[7:40] The role of estrogen metabolites in optimal health.
[12:23] Cortisol level spikes reflect stress and highlight gut health.
[16:38] Thyroid antibodies, dietary changes, and asymptomatic diagnoses.
[24:35] Becky’s personal experience with functional medicine.
[25:12] Sleep disruptors including vaginal health and hormone levels.
[28:10] Adrenal response and the importance of high quality sleep.
[32:05] Becky’s top three supplements, her personal health practices, and the traditional medicine approach that she has changed her mind about.
Episode Resources:
Design for Health Resources:
Blog: Berberine’s Potential to Support Heart Health and Blood Sugar Metabolism
The Association Between Stress and Hot Flashes
Blog: Dim Estrogen Dominance with DIM
Blog: Phytoestrogens to Help Diminish Mild Hot Flashes
Blog: Selenium: Critical Support for Thyroid Function
Webinar: The Impact of Hormones in Women's Immune Health with Felice Gersh, MD
Visit the Designs for Health Research and Education Library which houses medical journals, protocols, webinars, and our blog.
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